studio. thank you. >> we have a couple of representatives, and we have the administrative director. >> thank you. >> i have susan strollis and ben shockey. >> thank you, commissioners. thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of this studio. this is a nonprofit organization that has been serving the public since 1991. this is for a sustaining and enhancing the development and crass bunch of creative expression. all this is in cooperation with the sad to the chair and our program. those of believe that this is a component to help the community strive to make certain that quality and not competitive our programs are affordable and

accessible to everyone. half of the classes are provided by the studio. support to make sure the lights stayed on and the doors were open. as part of the agreement, they are supporting the program. they provide the community with demonstrations of various venues.

in particular, we pay attention to pre-teen and teen use, which is underserved. we have developed a community partnership and are piloting a program to offer after-school program in four middle schools. the studio hopes to be able to focus our attention on how to reach, serving the public. -- attention to outreach, irving the public. >> thanks for having us.

i want to thank staff members for working with us to finalize the process, and i am very happy to be here today. i am thrilled to be able to stand here to commemorate our understanding. with your approval, we represent the beloved institution. currently, we serve youth- related programs every year. many have talked for more than 20 years.

we are excited to continue to offer services for the communique, and we look forward to your approval. >> is there any other public comment on this item? public comment is closed. >> i just wanted to say a word of thanks to prius but also to the friends of the art studio. i think you goes -- you both represent a new chapter. as we are debuting our model

with a focus on the arts, we welcome you as an active partner, and we're grateful for all you have done in the past, and we look forward to working with your in the future. >> i would echo that. i think it is a terrific program, and i commend you all. >> is fantastic. >> all those in favor? >> we are now on item number 10, which is mission dolores park.

>> discretion to approve a permanent in mission dolores park. on july 16 of 2009, they approved the distribution of our request. they did on specific locations and allowed respondents to propose. the review the proposals and selected six respondents to interview. in january, they interviewed those respondents. we reviewed the recommendation to permit blue bottle coffee.

the department is excepting approval, and we intend to return with additional respondents, and i also want to note this is part of a citywide effort to make food carts more accessible to the public. we have someone from the mayor's office who is going to speak briefly about this program. >> it is the director designate. >> thank you. i just wanted to take a minute to put this notion of food cards in a larger context. they created the first strategy, and part of that was to identify major economic drivers

of our economy. this includes tourism, parts, food, and recreation. they specifically talked about ways to expand the economic engine, and because we are a land-constrained city, the notion as we needed to upgrade the sector. you would be shocked and how many people do not leave the northeast part of the city. they specifically called out the notion of of creating parks and increasing amenities and adding food and targeting recreation. this is ideal for residents and

tourists, for the parks, and for the neighborhood and commercial districts. at the same time, we have noticed an incredible demand for food carts in the city. portland got a head of this curve, and it has done wonders and has really added to local neighborhoods. it is incredibly cumbersome and actually regulated by the police. we are leading projects to bring legislation forward to streamline food carts in the city and allow them to create a streamlined process for planning department to give permits on underutilized private spaces. i think they have also gotten

ahead of the curve in there really exemplary way puree get our department has been involved with this initiative of footing in food carts from the outset. it was very well-publicized. -- involved with this initiative of putting in food carts from the outset. it was well-publicized. we have received inquiries from 40 businesses that are interested in responding. one important aspect is it is an important process. we have found some that do not have the financial resources to get a cart going and to get their line of credit better situated so they can respond to the opportunity in the future, so it has been a great opportunity to work with businesses that want to expand or have this. i am happy to answer any

questions, but i did want to provide that context. this is something our economists has called out as a real potential for the city, and that is part of the streamlining. >> we may have some questions after we hear testimony. >> i would just like to tell you a little about blue bottle coffee. they served only coffee from the last 24 hours, and it has to be pesticide-free. they started selling their coffee at a farmers' market, and then they moved in 2003, and they built a kiosk in what was at the time an alley, which has become a vibrant destination. they have opened cafes, which they have helped create as a

vibrant destination, opened a cafe in the ferry building and a small coffee bar. it is very much ingrained in the coffee culture. community outreach has been the following. we undertook the following process. we placed an ad in the san francisco chronicle's. we e-mailed all parties that express and interest. we responded to hundreds of individuals and businesses. media of lists published information. there was an article in the san francisco examiner last july. and there was another article featured on a number of hogs. -- blogs. notified the following

individuals and organizations of our intention to propose this today. that includes seven dufty, the -- includes dufty, delores park playground, and mission dolores theory give in addition to the outreach, our region mission dolores. in addition to the out of reach, it has been featured in an article. -- and mission dolores. in addition to the outreach, it has been featured in an article. as usual, we must approve, and they must clean up the vicinity

of around their cards. this has been approved by the chair and the department. >> what is the range of products they serve? is it all coffee? >> and small baked goods. >> thank you. commissioner lee: on page five, you have a commencement date of august 20, 2010. how is that august 20? >> we will take a look at that. >> you have got to update the other dates in this paragraph also. >> public comment?

>> please come forward. >> my name is maciel. our name was not on that list of the businesses we notified, and we have been there for 13 years. we have helped the lauras park area become a vibrant as often it -- dolores park area become a vibrant as the nation. i think it is a negative impact on the business already there. i think there are more than a dozen places to get coffee within a block of dolores park. i do not think we need another

coffee cart or other businesses going in there. if it is a matter of revenue, are in lock is a huge space for the -- hour block is a huge space for the city, so i am opposed to this permit. >> my name is rachel herbert, and i own dolores park cafe. i am here because i feel the outreach was not sufficient, even though the person who spoke rattled along with avenues for out of reach. fifth if i was notified on thursday this was a done deal.

-- i was notified on thursday this was a done deal. we have been part of a community of small businesses that have helped develop the communiquty. had been notified sooner, but it was only today i learned of the process. i think the community outreach was a way to level the playing field. i think the businesses have not had an opportunity to participate.

>> thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak. this is a neighborhood park with restaurants and coffee shops that rely on the neighborhood and park business. it is wanting to bring a nonprofit business the supports local people. it is a completely different thing bringing in blue bottle coffee. it competes directly with those businesses. i went around to every single coffee shop. not one person knew of the opportunities afforded until last week.

please consider giving them the same opportunities, or at least take a look at other businesses. >> thank you. >> i am the director of operations, and i thought i should share a little information about job creation and retention. since december, 2008, we have been able to create 75 new jobs. i feel really proud of the fact we have been able to create exciting and great opportunities over the bay area. 75% of our employees are

enrolled in and we feel very grateful the we are able to continue to offer jobs. that is all i wanted to save. -- say. >> hello, i have worked for blue bottle property for about two years. i live in the neighborhood, and i will be the person managing the laura esparta. i started off two years ago working in the farmers -- person managing the park. i started off working in the farmers' market, and they exemplify the type of business we run. all of them include vendors in

the area, and i have fully refer people to goods we do not sell. -- happily refer people to the goods we do not sell. there are many vendors. i would like working for a company with that integrity and earnestness. i am happy working there. they treat us right. >> thank you. >> my name is alex, and i do not work for the coffee shop. i am a longtime customer but also a longtime resident. i lived there since 1979.

i have a close connection with the neighborhood. when i first read about efforts to bring food vendors into the park, i watched the park evolves, and the thought of having fiber vendors there give vitality to the residence -- having the vendors there give vitality to the residents. >> thank you. >> i am one of the employees who has been given a job recently.

i recently went to our ferry building, and every business was just a roll call. >> thank you. >> i am not an employee of blue bottle.

i am a citizen of san francisco. when my parents opened a small bakery, we were threatened with a big bakery opening, but it brought new customers to that area, and i think that will also happen. i have been watching it work with the city to develop as a place for people alive in the city. -- enliven the city. i hope you will consider it and have blue bottle. >> thank you.

>> so paulson does not live here anymore. ♪ almost heaven, dolores park ♪ blue bottle coffee has such history. ♪ in the city

thank you. >> i support cards like that. where there is not a business already, but for businesses that can afford real estate, it makes no sense to me to put that in the park when there are multiple businesses that give directly to the community. two weeks ago i was there were all the businesses donated the proceeds, and i just think it is

so valuable to honor who is in that neighborhood and absolutely incubates small start-ups, but it does not make sense to bring a large chain in. >> we started about five years ago.

there is such demand. it is just a few blocks away from the excellent cafe. i think it would be a different engrosses some for us. we would be privileged to be part of it. -- a different system for us. we would be privileged to be part of it. >> i do not think any of us are opposed to vendors going in there are the competition, but it is over such jury -- over saturated. we have questions like, how permanent is the structure? there is so much for traffic.

it is a really vibrant neighborhood, and i have seen it change. i could commend them for buying region running such great business that they want to go in -- commend them for running such a great business. there are people with a small pushcart the doctor things besides coffee and baked in -- that offer things besides coffee and baked foods during get >> is there anything of -- and baked goods. >> is there anyone else who would like to comment? public comment is closed. commissioner lee: this is a five-year lease you are proposing. i understand the ice skating rink investment. in this